Siena, Tuscany, Italy, Monday, September 24, 2012

Siena Street

Before we headed out to dinner last night, I told the owner I would like to pay now as we had to leave before breakfast tomorrow. He asked if we would like him to make a little box to go. We thought that was very nice and figured we would get a pastry to go. This morning he hands us each a small shopping bag. Each bag has a bottle of water, two small croissants, an apple, ham and cheese sandwich, a chocolate torte, and a big Italian cookie. Unbelievable kindness and generosity from Hotel Sole in Volterra.
We hike up the hill into town and the bus stop. It is a busy place in the morning, lots of buses, locals, and school kids going to various places. Our bus goes back to Colle Di Val D’elsa where we switch to another bus to Siena. We get there at 0840 and our bus to Siena should arrive at 0850. So far so good, but then 0850, 0900, 0910 and around 0912 the bus does indeed show up. No more changes so we do not care about the delay. The ride goes well and we even get on a highway for about 10 miles and then start the climb up to central Siena. The bus drops us off at the main station and we get oriented, think we know where to go and start walking. We set up a check in time of 1500 and it is only 1030 so we are exploring with our full packs.

Inside San Domenico

We take a slightly roundabout way to the Church of San Domenico. We walk in and the Dominican church is hugh but not very elaborate. Siena is divided into 17 contradas or neighborhoods which they take very seriously and the flags from each contrada hangs in the church. This church is about St. Catherine. St. Catherine began seeing heavenly visions as a child and became a Domenican nun at 16, locking herself away in a room in her home for 3 years. She then joined her Domenican sisters.

Head of St. Catherine

At 23, she went into a spiritual coma, and awoke with the heavenly command to spread her message to the world. She wrote to kings, dukes, and Popes asking them to find peace for Italy. She had a vision where she received the stigmata which are the wounds of Christ. Still in her twenties, she was invited to France where the Pope was living. She helped convince Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome. She is revered today as the Patron Saint of Europe. There are several relics in the San Domenica church including her thumb, a chain she used to scourge herself, and her actual head, which was a little strange to see.
From this church, we walked over to the Sanctuary of St. Catherine which is located where her house was. They have built a small church here which contains the wooden cross she was meditating under when she received the stigmata. They also have the bare room cell where she meditated for three years.

Church of Santissima Anninciation

We leave the Sanctuary and walk over to the Santa Maria Della Scala museum. It is located in the same piazza as the Duomo which we will see tomorrow. The square is very nice with stone benches so we decide to eat here. We are sitting just outside the Church of the Santissima Annunciation and since it closes soon we go inside. Well actually, I go inside because Carol thought I was checking out the museum to see if we could wear our packs in there. The church has a bronze Christ Risen on the alter and a beautiful fresco behind it. It is quite beautiful and when I exit, Carol goes in while I wait on our piece of stone bench. We eat the sandwiches from our hotel and the torte and cookies which fill us up nicely.

Santa Maria Della Scala Museum

We go into the museum and the nice ladies behind the desk let us put our packs in their office so our load is lightened for the visit. Two levels of the museum is closed for restoration work so we only see one floor. The museum used to be a hospital that started in the 11th century and was still open into the 1980s. The Pellegrinaio Hall is wonderfully frescoed with scenes of life caring for the sick as well as abandoned children in the 1400s. There are a few other displays and most importantly toilettes at the end.
We walk to the main square of Siena, Il Campo, and then up side streets looking for our room. It is only 1330 so we are pretty sure no one will be there but we want to make sure we can find it so we are not late at 1500. We walk past it once but on the return leg up the street we find the address and the name of the place is on a buzzer. Since we are here we ring it but no answer. As we are doing that a man parks his truck and says something in Italian but I do not understand and I tell him we have a room here and are early. He says more in Italian and I get to come back when you wrote time, it is too early, and he lives there, and he then disappears through the door.

In Il Campo

We go back to Il Campo which is only about 5 minutes away and sit on the square to relax. I go off to find an ATM while Watch Carol guards the packs. I don’t find a machine and halfway around the square, I go up a block and try a different street. I find a Bank of Roma which has a machine, get my money and head back to Carol. When I get there, she shows me there is an ATM just over our left shoulder, but I had started my search to the right. Oh well! We hang out and people watch for over an hour and then head to the room. 1455, five minutes early, no answer so we wait. 1515 and no one has come to meet us. 1530 and still nothing. At around 1545, we start talking game plan. Choice one is I leave Carol here and go try to find a phone booth to call our contact, Lorenzo. Choice 2, wait a few more minutes here and then see if I can convince anyone walking by to use their phone to call. We opt for 2 and I start piecing together words from my cheat sheet like can you help us?, and reserved room, man is late, do you have a phone, etc. Just before 1600, the man we saw earlier emerges and I say uomini ritardo ( man is late). He does not speak any English and he buzzes someone else in the building, talks to her, and then says and gestures, I should call the number on the buzzer. I say no telephone, can you help and he gets out his phone and calls the number.

Yes We Have a Room

Lorenzo answers and apologizes, and says he is on his way but in traffic. At least we know he is coming. The nice Italian man tells us we can wait in the hall rather than the street and I thank him and say he is Moto gentile which means very kind and he smiles, says prego and is on his way. So our crisis is resolved and about 20 minutes later, Lorenzo arrives.
He shows us our room and it is very nice with a beautiful balcony overlooking most of Siena. A big bonus we were not expecting is the room has a shared kitchen, refrigerator, stove, and to make Carol smile, a washing machine! We chat with Lorenzo for a bit, pay, and put our feet up looking out on Siena.

Street in Fish Contrada

We head around 1830 to check out a few places on our dinner list that are nearby. We settle on a small little place and stroll down the street until they open. There are flags hanging all down the street and fish lamps above our head. We are in the fish contrada. There is a very big horse race here every year in the main square called the Palio in which the contradas race for a years worth of bragging rights. We do not know when the race is and whether this display is in preparation for it, or if they won.

Antipasto Carol Already Ate Two

At any rate, we are hungry and the restaurant is open so we go inside. We order antipasto, 2 pastas, a meat dish, and vino. It is all very good and we are definitely not in a tourist place as all the other patrons are Italian. We find it funny that we don’t like to eat late so we get to all these restaurants as soon as they open and then we are usually the only ones in there for a half hour or so. By the time we leave an hour and a half or so later, they are pretty full. Time to go back and enjoy our night time view. Good night. 
                                                                              CNC

Expenses
11.50E- 2 bus tickets from Volterra to Siena
7E- Santa Maria Della Scala Museum
33E- antipasto, pasta, veal scallopine, vino, 1E coperto
65E- Vicolo del Oro BNB

Miles Walked – 6.8 Miles